Evacuation flights from Juba organized for Japanese, EU and US nationals

Governments of Japan, the United States and European Union countries plan to offer help to evacuate their citizens today and in the coming days, for those who wish to leave.

Evacuations will rely on chartered aircraft or military aircraft because commercial flights into and out of Juba have been suspended.

The US State Department sent messages to citizens in Juba on Tuesday that over the next few days it will organize flights from Juba Airport for all US citizens wishing to leave the country “in light of the recent unrest and insecurity.”

"Further details on timing and logisticswill be provided separately. For planning purposes, please promptly provide the names of all U.S. citizens in your party who wish to depart. We will follow up," the State Department said.

The US Embassy on its Facebook page declared that it was “not evacuating,” describing its partial evacuation instead as an “ordered departure” of certain non-essential personnel.

“Planning for departures is underway and the Embassy will update as appropriate. Due to ongoing security concerns, please remain vigilant when moving about the city.”

Separately, the German Ambassador in Juba Johannes Lehne sent a message to German citizens saying that several German air force flights will evacuate German and EU nationals today from Juba.

“The departures are expected to take place in the afternoon. Target is entebbe / Uganda. Please ensure that you are starting at 11:00 at the airport and bring the following: your passport and two copies of the passport; hand luggage with a max of 10 kg,” he said.

Lehne said that the embassy will arrange exit formalities, which may suggest that immigration systems are not operating as normal at the airport.

Japanese military aircraft have also been disptacehd to Juba to evacuate about 70 Japanese nationals. They left their base in Japan late Monday and were reported to be heading first to Djibouti for staging.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, a government-funded organization, said its more than 40 staffers would be evacuated together with other Japanese nationals, citing concerns about security in Juba.

An official at the Canadian embassy did not respond to a request for information about evacuation plans for Canadian nationals. Uganda's government announced an evacuation for its citizens will take place from Nisitu junction by land.

File photo: US Marines oversee the evacuation of US citizens from Juba in December 2013